One of the biggest complaints that came out of the recent recall of tainted beef at XL Foods in Brooks was how long it took to alert the public after the problem was detected.

In a new publication for its Centre for Food in Canada, the Conference Board of Canada is calling for improved traceability systems within the food supply chain.

Alison Howard, who is the Principal Research Associate with the CBC, tells 660News, Canada’s food supply system is solid but it could always be better.

Howard says the goal is to make it easier to track a product or ingredient from the point of sale to its origin, which in turn would speed up response when a red flag goes up.

She says an improved system would benefit both consumers and those in the food industry.

Next fall the conference board will table what’s called a national food strategy.